The sudden withdrawal of a scheduled keynote speaker has turned into an unexpected triumph for organisers of the annual events industry conference Eventing the Future 2013.

Internationally acclaimed Bernard Dooling will be taking centre stage on the opening day of the conference August 14 at the Pullman Auckland as a late replacement for the originally advertised keynote presenter. Dooling, co-Founder and until recently, former Director of London strategic agency 20.20 Ltd has stepped in to fill the breach left when his colleague Michael Artis had to cancel due to a change in personal circumstances.

Dooling, Artis’s former employer and mentor, comes with an international reputation in providing strategic advice and effective change management. In 1988 he and a colleague established 20.20 Ltd, a multi-disciplinary design and strategy consultancy specialising in retail and leisure. The business has grown to become one of Europe’s leading agencies.

During his 30-plus years as a director of 20.20 Ltd, Dooling has been responsible for the overall creative direction of numerous projects involving many of the biggest names in the retail and sporting market. His European client base included, amongst others: Liberty, Next, Sainsbury’s, Virgin, Bass, Oasis, Bhs, Mothercare, Homebase, National Gallery, Boots, Marks & Spencer , Arsenal FC and The Body Shop. In Australia he was engaged by Country Road, Gall & Gall in The Netherlands and he helped develop the global reputation strategy for Chevron.

Bernard Dooling

In May this year, Bernard moved from the United Kingdom to New Zealand where he is ‘living the dream’, writing a book and consulting within the retail and sports industry across Australia and New Zealand.

In Artis’s own words: “You have lost me, but now have a legend. Bernard is a massive heavyweight in the United Kingdom and Europe and is predictably being snapped up down under. He is already consulting for the biggest retailer in New Zealand, and is being flown over to Sydney for more of the same. I know it’s different to how we expected, but I promise you, this has turned into a bit of a slam dunk.”

Dooling’s offer to present at ETF is particularly exciting for the conference organisers as the theme for the conference this year is ‘Transformation’, a theme that has governed 20.20s creative and innovative approach to tailoring audience, fan and customer experiences. Conference organiser, Peter Burley is enthusiastic about the change in speaker line-up. “We need to be able to embrace change and manage unexpected outcomes. We are thrilled to be able to bring this talent to our conference and look forward to providing an opportunity for our top industry personnel to get in front of a top international presenter – and vice versa – to share information, experiences and insights on how to transform event outcomes.”

The annual conference provides a unique opportunity for New Zealand’s industry personnel – including sponsors, funding representatives, government and local body representatives as well as music, sporting and general event organisers – to come together to share ideas and information.

Presenters include a range of high profile event organisers along with key industry personnel, business mentors and advisors. Dooling joins a number of other high level business leaders delivering keynote addresses, including Stu Robertson of the Orange Group and Dr Mike Ashby, Director of The Breakthrough Company. Several panels feature big names in the music industry, the business sector and the academic world. A series of research based presentations from industry professionals and leading academics will showcase the latest results of research into business case analysis, industry trends and changing audience expectations.

According to Peter Burley, “Although the conference is pitched at event industry personnel, the programme features a huge amount of talent relevant to a range of diverse businesses and business practitioners. Retail, leisure, entertainment, conference and event industry people could all benefit from attending and hearing inspiring and informative addresses from the impressive range of presenters.”

Registrations are now open for the conference. All registrations received before the end of July are eligible for an Early Bird discount. Where three or more participants from a single organisation register, the third registration receives a 50% discount.

For information on Bernard Dooling and other presenters, registrations details and to check out the latest programme, visit: www.eventingthefuture.co.nz